Pipe-line coupling.



H. 0. LLOYD-JONES.

PIPE LINE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26,-1910 1,026,686; Patented May 21, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0-, WASHlNG'lOl. D. C.

HORATIO OWEN LLOYD-JONES, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

PIPE-LINE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed August 26, 1910. Serial No. 579,094.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HORATIO OWEN LLOYD-JONES, of the city of lVinnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-LineCouplers, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to a coupler for effectually interconnecting the train line, the signal line, and the steam heating line in a train of cars, and the object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, serviceable, and eficient device which will automatically couple and effect a direct interconnection between the of a train of cars, such ,coupler being constructed so as to make and break coupling quickly, that is, with little sliding contact, so that the wear between the engaging parts is reduced to a minimum.

A still further object is to provide a means for connecting the coupler to the car which will withstand the heavy strains placed on it when the couplers engage.

With these and other objects in view which will be more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of parts as later described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of two adjoining cars provided with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of two of my couplers engaged, a portion of the car being shown in dotted outline. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of one of the couplers, and the coupler supporting means, parts being shownin vertical section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed plan view of one of the coupler heads as it appears when it is disengaged. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the coupler supporting means, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line X X, Fig. 3, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the movable jaw of the coupling head, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line Y Y, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

l and 2 represent a portion of the ends of two adjoining cars of which 3 are the sup porting floor beams. 4 and 5 designate the ordinary car couplers for interconnecting directly several pipe lines which they pass.

one car with another, and throughout this specification will be referred to as the car couplers. It is to be understood that these form no part of my invention and may be of any approved type. Each car is equipped with a pipe line coupler and sup porting means now described.

6 and 7 are brackets securely fastened by bolts to the under side of the car at the ends opposite each other, which brackets are supplied with longitudinally extending plates 8.

9 are boxings square in cross section, having the ends 9 and those 9 closed, which boxings are suspended by means of a saddle 10 located at the ends thereof receiving swivel eyes 11 connected by means of pins 12 to lugs 13 dependent from the plates 8. This arrangement is such that it will allow the boxings to swing laterally as well as upwardly and downwardly.

14 are strong spiral springs passing between the free ends of the boxings and the adjoining ends of the plates to which parts they are suitably fastened.

15 are intermediate springs somewhat lighter than those 14, which springs pass between the boxings and the plates midway between the saddles and the points to which the other springs are attached. These springs are also suitably fastened to the respective parts.

16 are shanks passing into the boxings and carrying square pistons or collars 17 which are adapted to slide within the boxings and are supplied with pins 18 at their sides, which pins operate in longitudinally directed slots 19 formed in the sides of the boxings. The shanks slide in suitable bearings formed in theends 9 and 9 through Coiled springs A and B are placed in the boxings surrounding the shank and have their outer ends bearing on the ends 9 9 of the boxings, and their inner ends engaging with the collars 17 hereinafter referred to on each of the shanks. These springs cushion the shanks.

21 and 22 are two similar engaging heads (right and left), to which are connected the train pipe lines 23, the signal lines 24 and the steam heating lines 25, which lines are formed from flexible piping as is usual.

Each shank 16 is fitted with an outwardly flaring end piece 26 having an open mouth at 27 which is designed to receive the movable jaw of the engaging head shortly described. Each end piece has an opening at 28 adjoining the shank, which opening has its walls converged so as to receive the ends of the jaw. The opening serves the further purposeof allowing ice or other such undesirable material lodging in the end piece to escape when the couplers engage.

29 are more or less wedge-shaped movable jaws pivotally secured by pins 30 to opposing lugs 31 extending from the sides of the end pieces, it being understood that the end pieces are cut away at 26 to admit the jaws. The nose 29 of each jaw is formed with converging sides so that it is adapted to enter snugly the opening 28 in the adjoining head. The outer face 29 of each jaw is concaved so that it will slide easily over the inner face of the opposing end piece when the parts engage, while the heel is supplied with a stop piece or lug 51 which engages with the end of the shank and prevents the jaw from swinging backwardly farther than is desired. Aspiral spring 32 passes between the heel of each jaw and the shank and holds the jaw normally back with the lug 31 engaging with the shank as shown in Fig. 4. The jaws are provided with ducts or passages 33, 34, and 35, which connect up with the pipe lines 23, 24, and 25, respectively. Rubber or soft metal gaskets are placed or screwed into the ends of the ducts 83, 34, and 35 at the points where they open at the inner face of the jaws. The gaskets prevent any leakage occurring in the transmission lines between the heads when the heads are engaged.

In order to better understand my invention I will now describe the manner in which the heads engage assuming at the outset that they are both in the normal position as shown in Fig. 4. As the heads come together the respective jaws pass primarily into the mouths of the respective end pieces and swing on their pivotal pins 30 as the noses slide over the inner faces of the end pieces. YVhen the couplers have finally engaged the noses are in the openings 28 and the gaskets 36 carried by each jaw are pressed closely together so that the pipe lines are connected.

I am aware that engaging jaws have already been employed for connecting pipe lines, but find that in any of the types which have come under my notice there is a rubbing contact between the gaskets which is very detrimental as it shortens greatly the life of the same and is very apt to cause leakage. Vith my coupler it will be noticed that there is practically no rubbing contact between the gaskets as the jaws are not finally forced together until the gaskets are directly opposite each other. Upon cars parting coupling the jaws are pulled apart by the springs 32 so that there is no"rubbing contact when they engage or disengage.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a suitable supporting means, of a shank carrying an open mouthed end piece, a swingable jaw pivotally secured to the end piece and let in to the side thereof, and a spring pressing the jaw normally, backwardly, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a suitable sup porting means, of a shank carried by the supporting means and provided with an open mouthed end piece, having one of the walls thereof inclined, a wedge-shaped jaw swivelly secured to the end piece and a spring passing between the jaw and the shank, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a suitable supporting means, of a shank carried by the supporting means and provided with an open mouthed end piece having one of the walls thereof inclined toward the shank, a wedge-shaped jaw ,pivotally secured to the end piece and letin to the side thereof, a spring passing between the jaw and the shank and a lug extending from the jaw and engageable with the shank, as and for the purpose specified.

4:- The combination with a suitable supporting means, of a shank carried by the supporting means and provided with an open mouthed end piece having an inclined wall, a wedge-shaped jaw pivotally secured to the end piece and let in at the side thereof, said jaw being provided with suitable ducts, gaskets located in the ends of'the ducts, a spring passing between the jaw and the shank and a lug extending from the jaw and engageable with the shank, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with a suitable supporting means, of a shank carried by the supporting means and provided with an open mouthed end piece having an inclined inner wall, said end piece being further provided with an opening adjoining the shank having converging walls, a wedge shaped jaw pivotally secured to the end piece and let in to the side thereof, said jaw being provided with suitable ducts and gaskets at the ends of the ducts, a spring passing between the end of the jaw and the shank and a lug extending from the jaw and en gageable with the shank, as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at Winnipeg in the Province of Manitoba, this 27th day of June, 1910.

HORATIO OWEN LLOYD-JONES. In the presence of G. S. ROXBURGH, R. Fosrnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cent s each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

